Ohio Wesleyan to Host ‘The Punk Singer’ Documentary Filmmaker

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University will host documentary filmmaker Sini Anderson for a free screening and discussion of her acclaimed film, “The Punk Singer.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. Oct 8 in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware.

“The Punk Singer,” released in 2013, tells the story of Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre. Hanna earned national attention as the “reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement,” becoming one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons.

Through 20 years of archival footage and intimate interviews with Hanna, “The Punk Singer” takes viewers on a fascinating tour of contemporary music and offers a never-before-seen glimpse into Hanna’s public and private life.

After the film’s release, Hanna told writer Christina Radish: “My original goal in the ’90s, after I found feminism and I was the first generation in my family to go to college, was to spread this information that feminism was still very much alive, and that you can’t believe the media telling you that it doesn’t need to exist and that it doesn’t exist.”

Reviewer Nia Childs lauded the documentary, stating: “A firm contender for documentary of the year, ‘The Punk Singer,’ the directorial debut from director Sini Anderson, is as immensely enjoyable as it is vital. Anderson focuses on the riot grrl movement in the early ’90s, and perfectly captures the spirit of the women who charged into battle, declaring war on all that is misogynist and unjust.”

Anderson’s Ohio Wesleyan appearance is sponsored by the Arneson Institute for Practical Politics and Public Affairs and by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Learn more at arneson.owu.edu or women.owu.edu. Learn more about “The Punk Singer” at www.thepunksinger.com.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 86 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,750 students represent 46 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.